Stifled Aussies fall for tourist trap of their own making
EVERYTHING old is suddenly new again with India striking gold by reprising a cunning plan which Australia once used for its most famous victory on Indian soil.
The sight of Indian bowlers plugging gaps on the leg side and bowling straight at the stumps will, perversely, revive some pleasant memories for the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, who were part of Australia’s only series win in India in 50 years in 2004.
Steve Smith and company are being subjected to a “death by suffocation’’ plan similar to the one that enabled Australia’s bowlers to subdue Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly when they averaged between 17 and 27 in the 2004 series.
Gilchrist, deputising for injured Ricky Ponting as captain, consulted an Indian player called Vasoo before the 2004 series who said Australia had traditionally bowled too wide of off-stump chasing edges in the customary Australian way.
The result was too many balls being dispatched to the off-side fence and when the Aussies adjusted to a straighter line they were smacked through generally unprotected areas of the leg side. So Australia took a deep breath and bowled straighter — directly to India’s strengths — and the result was Australia’s only series win in India since 1969.
Australia stacked the legside and India’s once freeflowing top order became tied down and frustrated as dynamic leg-side strokes were hit straight to fieldsmen.
Now it is Australia feeling the grip of this plan. Smith and company are being frustrated to the point where Smith has scored just nine off 69 balls in two Tests.
Marnus Labuschagne said during the Boxing Day Test he could feel the imprint of India’s research.
Gilchrist remembers 2004 success.
“It was ... being prepared to flip completely the traditional game plan and turn a tour of India on its head,’’ he said. the